Intravenous (IV) fluid delivery pumps are used to deliver fluid to a patient or to draw out fluid from a patient's body. With respect to the delivery of fluid to the patient, delivery pumps and the associated control software are typically configured to deliver relatively large amounts of fluid over an extended period of time.
This may present problems when there is a requirement to deliver a small volume of fluid to a patient such as on the order of less than 2.5 milliliters of fluid (or in a range from about 0.1-5 mls). Under current procedures, a clinician can introduce the small volume of fluid into a primary fluid delivery line such as via a valve to the fluid delivery line. However, in order to do so the clinician must first detach the fluid line from the pump. Alternatively, a clinician could deliver a small volume of fluid by connecting a small volume syringe to a syringe pump. However, the small volume of fluid may be diluted in the fluid line or fluid from the small volume syringe may attached to the interior walls of the fluid line such that the proper dosage of fluid over time is not achieved.